Michael Young: the skeleton watch from China

Very often – and superficially – we are used to associating China with low quality productions. Stereotypes are known to die hard. And already, as in other sectors, with Chinese mobile phones breaking the market supremacy of Apple and Samsung, in the field of watchmaking we are witnessing the great manoeuvres of manufacturers based in the giant of the East.

Producers who increasingly turn to high caliber designers to create their products and make them attractive to an audience that is becoming more and more international.

Versione in grigio spazzolato

And this is the case of Templates, il the new design watch created by Michael Young – an Englishman residing in Hong Kong, for CIGA Design.

Not only does the designer “dress” the concept of an elegant watch with a post-industrial and fascinating form, but he also transforms it, innovating in its technical and constructive characteristics. Unlike traditional watches, Templates does not have a separate case and dial, but creatively makes the two inseparable.

This timepiece also interprets another of the Chinese’s passions: skeletonized watches. The almost Bauhaus-inspired case dial has thus been opened to reveal the movement beneath it. Templates is equipped with a simple mechanical Sea-Gull T2551JK calibre, with a power reserve of about 35 hours. The balance, which oscillates at 21600 bph, ensures a honest performance of +/-15 seconds per day.
In full line with its positioning characteristics, which put it really within everyone’s reach.

A watch with a prize-winning design

Versione in nero opaco

This watch, which was launched in spring 2018 through the crowdfunding platform Mijia, belonging to Xiaomi, was awarded with a valuable IF Gold Award pfor its design, along with the following motivation: “This watch takes a holistic approach to design, which means a new interpretation of a classic masterpiece. Attractive sensory details such as the visible movement and the tactile crown winding delight the user, while the curved dial gives softness to the appearance. Michael Young has managed to give this watch a unique experience”.